Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops end VMNH run in March

Visitors wishing to see the life-size, cast skeletons of Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops at the Virginia Museum of Natural History have through mid-March to view the temporary displays.

“Having these magnificent dinosaur displays at the museum has been a wonderful addition since they made their public debut at our Dino Day festival on January 30,” said Ryan Barber, deputy director of the museum. “Thousands of people have enjoyed them over the past month and visitors should know that we still will have an extensive display of dinosaur casts and fossils on permanent display.”

The museum’s permanent dinosaur displays include the life-size, cast skeletons of Acrocanthosaurus, Allosaurus, Tenontosaurus, and Deinonychus. Additionally, the museum offers skull casts of Diplodocus, Appalachiosaurus, Triceratops, andT. rex, as well as a variety of other dinosaur specimens and fossils.

The museum is also busy planning its next major festivals. The new Ice Age Festival will be held January 21, 2017, the popular Dino Day Festival will become a 2-day event, taking place July 21-22, 2017.

“Dino Day is a huge hit and we want to make sure we offer the best event possible,” said Barber. “The event has traditionally been held in January, but the move to July will allow us to plan an even larger spectacle by expanding outside. Plans already include many wow-factors that have never been offered at VMNH, including displaying the life-size skeleton cast ofStegosaurus.”

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Sundays.

The cost of admission the museum is $5 per adult, $4 for children ages 3-18 and $3 for seniors ages 60+ and college students. Children under 3 and museum members enter for free.

Patrick McCrickard gets up close and personal with the Tyrannosaurus rex at Dino Day on January 30. Photo courtesy of Britney McCrickard

The Triceratops will end its VMNH exhibit run in mid-March. Visitors this month will see the largest display of dinosaurs the museum has ever offered.Photo courtesy of Britney McCrickard